@SG, all I can say is, that author is just looking from a tiny crack in a wall when writing that piece.  Don't let one guy's opinions be the basis of how you will look at the Philippines or Asia for thst matter.  It can sound pretty complex but then again what country isn't?

Are titanium chains worth it?  I'm not really after the weight but they do fight rust better than the ordinary chains.  Which is a plus with me as I do tend to forget to clean/lubricate my chains.  Are they more durable or just a weight-weenie thingy?

They cost 3-4 times more locally.

Nice to have you on board xwandi.  I like your paint scheme.  I would suggest you create a new thread for your built.  That way people can see your progress much better.

Well, that's a revelation.

You're in Australia, right?  I'm just wondering if your frame's $125 shipping cost is in AUD$ or US$.  I'm from the Philippines and my shipping was just US$50 for road bike frame/fork/seat post/2x bottle cages/head set.

Btw, loved the green color scheme.

@Carbon_Dude, I think you mean Scott Spark, the Scale is a hard tail.

Took the bike for a couple of 50km rides last Saturday and Sunday.  Here's my initial review.

Since this is my first road bike and honestly just my 3rd and 4th time on a dropbar.  First time was a 5km run using a frineds Giant 2 months ago, and the 2nd time being the 15km ride last Wednesday.  My review will mostly be a comparison with mtb XC and my Haro Projekt (steel frame with riser bar) fixed gear.

Saturday: 50km climb test.
The route I took had lots of climbs, a good number of them with winding turns.  The cemented road was pretty smooth here so can't comment about the vibration dampener system too much.  Weather was great.  Climbing on a roadie is a bit harder than I expected.  I'm pretty used to the more relaxed position of an XC.  I've pretty much run out of gears on a couple of those climbs but fortunately, never had to get off to push.  Going downhill was a scary experience.  Not used to the short dropbar, awkward brake position, and pretty much an aggressive seating position.  My fingers hurts with having to grab the brakes... have they not invented hydraulic brakes for clamp/cantilever brakes yet?  Good news is, my lower back did not hurt.

Sunday: 60km speed test.
This route is almost a 100% flat.  Road condition is from great to bad, cemented, asphalt, and some portions of hard pack mud.  Here those vibration dampener system really shone.  I can feel the vibrations between my legs but none on my wrists and elbow.  On my Projekt, these vibrations gives me sore hands and elbows.  Very happy with that.  While this was supposed to be a speed test, I really did not push this bike aside from doing a couple of sprints at mid gear range.  It didn't take long to hit above 45kph... the problem was I couldn't sustain it longer than I wanted.  My average speed for the trip was just around 27kph, which isn't much as I average 25kph on my XC.

As far as riding position, I would say it's pretty comfortable.  I was expecting a lot of lower back pain but didn't encounter them... maybe when I do centuries.  My main complain, which is caused by being new with roadies, is that I pretty much have 4 holding positions with the dropbar and none of them are comfty.  Although I did not suffer sore wrist and elbow.  Another thing I need to get use to is when stopping and standing over the top tube, I have bump my thigh or knees on the dropbars a few times.